The Sheik's Gentle Triumph Read online

  The Sheik’s Gentle Triumph

  The Diamond Club Series, Book 4

  By Elizabeth Lennox

  www.ElizabethLennox.com

  Follow me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Author.Elizabeth.Lennox

  Or on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Elizabethlenno1

  Copyright 2019

  ISBN13: 9781944078966

  All rights reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Chapter 1

  “Come with me!” Carly ordered, rushing into Danielle’s office and grabbing her hand.

  “What’s wrong?” Danielle asked, startled by the urgency in her friend’s voice and jogging to keep up. For a woman wearing four inch heels, Carly Cole could really hustle! The beautiful manager of The Solutions Group bustled through the lobby and then through the back door of the office building. The back patio of the custom designed building looked out onto the insane obstacle course, the place where Danielle’s employers trained various groups in the seemingly mystical art of self-defense and other not-to-be mentioned activities.

  But it wasn’t the lush woodlands that captured Danielle’s attention on this beautiful, sunny afternoon. It was the incredibly tall, dark haired man who was whipping through the obstacle course, giving the enormous Oz, Ryker, and Jayce a challenge – possibly the first time that had ever happened. Since the three men who owned the company were ex Special Forces, whoever this new giant was, he was impressive!

  A new employee? Or potential employee? Goodness, the thought of those shoulders and…well, all the rest of him, walking around the building…!

  Danielle was dazzled!

  Which was odd, because Danielle had been working as an accountant for The Solutions Group for a while now. The men and women who worked on the various teams were all impressive. But…there was something different about this one.

  The others running the course were far behind the four men. Up and over, under and around, through the trees, up ropes, over obstacles, and across barriers, the participants moved with extraordinary speed and astonishing agility. The course was designed by a maniac, none other than Ryker Thune, one of three owners of The Solutions Group.

  Ryker was a wonderful man really, but she remembered the time she’d walked into Ryker’s office, needing a signature. He’d been working on the design for the seemingly impossible obstacle course and had looked up with what could only be described as an evil sparkle to his amazing blue eyes. It was designed to test one’s ability to anticipate problems while racing through challenges, overcoming issues without hesitation. To make it even harder, the course changed every few weeks because…well, because Ryker was a sadist, Danielle thought. If anyone ever met Ryker, they wouldn’t know that he loved to push the limits of one’s endurance through tortuous obstacle courses. He was one of the kindest, most serious, and generous men you’ll ever meet.

  Normally, Danielle loved to watch her employers race through the course. She was fascinated with their spectacular stamina and the splendidly bulging muscles. But today, she didn’t even notice them. It was the stranger who captured her exclusive attention.

  He was magnificent! Astounding! The ridges of his marvelous muscles showing through the thin material of his shirt as he pulled himself up and over a wall were drool-worthy. There was no other word for them.

  Up and over, under and around, Danielle watched as the four of them moved and laughed, racing through the course. Laughing? The men were laughing? The course was brutal! Not just long and through the dense woods, but the obstacles themselves seemed insurmountable! Good grief! The men were nuts! Absolutely insane!

  And still, she couldn’t seem to pull her eyes away from that fourth man…who was he? What was he doing here? Why was he here? There were many teams employed by the company. The teams went out into the world, resolving issues that the US Government, foreign governments, or even corporations needed resolved, as long as the mission was legal, ethical, and moral. As the accountant for the company, Danielle wasn’t privy to where each of the teams went or what their missions were. And Danielle suspected that she didn’t want to know, not wanting to worry about the teams and their safety.

  A few minutes later, the four rounded the final corner of the obstacle course, sprinting the last quarter mile. Danielle had no idea who won. It seemed as if all four huge men sped over the finish line at the same time, then turned and…laughed.

  “Idiots,” Carly muttered, shaking her head.

  Usually, Danielle would joke with Carly. But Danielle couldn’t seem to pull her gaze away from the dark haired stranger.

  That’s when he stopped and turned, looking up at her as if he could feel the weight of her eyes. Danielle gasped, shocked by the impact of that look. She couldn’t seem to look away, transfixed by his seemingly unbreakable hold, her body tingling with trembling awareness of him not just as a stranger, but as a powerful man that she…

  “Are you okay?” Carly asked softly.

  Danielle jerked sideways, looking around and trying to regain her bearings. “Huh?” she asked, gripping the metal banister with one hand, praying that she didn’t fall over and look even more foolish.

  “Are you okay?” Carly repeated, peering at her friend with concern.

  Danielle touched her cheek, hoping to hide her blush. “Yes. I’m fine. Why?”

  Carly’s green eyes sparkled at Danielle. “Because you seem to be lost in your own world.”

  “I’m sorry,” she replied quickly, turning her back on the four men and focusing instead on the beautiful landscape. “What was the question?”

  Carly, Danielle’s best friend and boss, grinned while watching Danielle carefully. “What were you thinking about a moment ago? Your face is all flushed now.”

  Danielle shook her head, trying to come up with something, but her mind refused to function. “I don’t remember. Sorry. And I’d better…” she tried to figure out what she should be doing instead of ogling strange men but her mind drew a blank. Accounting. Didn’t she need to account? That was her job, right?

  At that moment, the four men appeared at the top of the stairs and Danielle wished that she’d moved faster, maybe hurried off of the patio and back into the building. Her desk would be nice place about now. Alas, her life was not filled with helpful, merciful miracles.

  Which is why Oz walked over to his sister, threatening to hug her with his sweaty arms. Carly muttered some sort of evil threat that held Oz off, earning chuckles from the others. Unfortunately, Danielle’s mind refused to process the conversation so she stood there, feeling silly and awkward.

  “Carly, I’d like to introduce you to my friend and our newest client, the Sheik of Stilan, Mika al Jiffrar. Mika, this is my annoying baby sister and the brilliant manager of the group, Carly.” He paused as the black-haired man shook Carly’s hand. “And this is our head accountant, Danielle Conyers.”

  Danielle held her breath, wishing she could blink and vanish from this uncomfortable situation.

  Carly was the ultimate professional, Danielle thought, almost resentful at how easy and carefree Carly appeared as she smiled up at the new man. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. And it’s an honor to help you and your guards with your new training.”

  Client? New training? Oh, this wasn’t good! Danielle groaned mentally, then winced, hoping she hadn’t groaned out loud.

  Then she realized that everyone was waiting for her to acknowledge the introduction and she jerked upright. “I’m so sorry,” she blurted clumsily, t
hen extended her hand towards the dangerously enticing stranger. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Your Highness,” she continued, following Carly’s words, although not nearly as smoothly. The stranger shook Carly’s hand and released it, but when he took hers, he held on, his dark, almost black eyes staring into hers and sending a silent message. A message she didn’t have the brain capacity to translate, not with her hand tingling, swallowed up in his larger grip.

  “Ms. Conyers, it is indeed a pleasure to meet you.”

  Danielle didn’t know what to say, but she sighed with relief when he finally released her hand. Stepping back, she allowed Carly to take over. The woman could charm kings and…okay, well, that was certainly true since this sheik guy was literally a king. A king of…what was the name of the country? Surely Oz hadn’t said Stilan. Because that was…good grief, that was a huge country! The man wasn’t really the Sheik of Stilan. Was he?

  But Danielle knew that The Solutions Group had done work for other countries before, so it wasn’t too much of a stretch that the company would work with yet another country.

  Needing to take a deep breath, and that wasn’t going to happen while the enormous, handsome stranger was nearby, she stepped back. “If you’ll excuse me, I have some work to do.” She nodded to the others, then nodded as politely as possible to the stranger. “It was a pleasure,” she lied, then backed away and hurried back inside the building.

  Rushing to her office, she closed the door and leaned back against it, taking in huge gulps of oxygen. Wow, she thought! That man was…incredible! Magnificent. Amazing! With a chuckle, she shook her head. Apparently, there was more than one word to describe the man.

  Chapter 2

  “Done!” Danielle announced aloud to her empty office as she finished up the latest batch of payments to their vendors. “Okay, what’s…?”

  The knock on her door paused her perusal of her to-do list and she swung around, prepared to greet whoever was there with a friendly, welcoming smile. But the tall, dark-haired giant in her doorway wasn’t Oz or a member of the staff. The man stepping through her doorway was none other than the man she’d been trying to banish from her thoughts for the past hour.

  “Sir!” she exclaimed, leaping to her feet. Then she remembered how Carly had addressed the man and closed her eyes briefly, “I mean, Your Highness.” She smoothed her hands down over her wool skirt, hoping the wrinkles didn’t make her look too frumpy. “How can I help you?”

  He stepped closer, his dark eyes caressing her features as he towered over her. “You can allow me to take you to dinner tonight,” he said softly.

  Danielle stared at the man, stunned and confused. “Uh…dinner?” Goodness, he smelled good! Not like sweat, though. He’d obviously showered and changed into a clean pair of black cargo pants and black tee-shirt. But goodness, the scent of him was…disturbing but delicious.

  His soft, husky laughter snapped her out of her reverie. His laugh felt like a silky caress. She’d read about such things in books, but…actually hearing his incredible voice and feeling those strange sensations was…wow!

  “Yes. Dinner. Tonight. I would like to get to know you better.”

  She blinked. “Why?” she blurted without thinking.

  He smiled and Danielle’s stomach did a silly little flip. “Because you are a beautiful woman and I suspect you are a fascinating person.”

  His words warmed her soul, but…she didn’t believe him. He had too much charm and too much power. Too many muscles and too much…of whatever it was that made her whole body hum with awareness.

  Besides, Danielle wasn’t beautiful or fascinating. She was a mousy, timid accountant who loved numbers, Cherry Garcia ice cream, and chocolate. Oh, and wine. Possibly too much of all of those. Which made her decidedly uninteresting. Definitely too ordinary for this man who just screamed exotic, sensual playboy.

  Clearing her throat, she unconsciously took a step backwards. “Um…well, thank you very much for the invitation. I’m sure dinner would be lovely but, unfortunately, I can’t.”

  He leaned closer. “Can’t?” Danielle prayed that the thin bra she’d donned this morning wasn’t revealing her awareness. She could definitely feel her lady parts singing with happiness at how close he was at the moment. “But you’d like to?”

  She licked her lips, trying to figure out a delicate way of telling him that there was absolutely no way she’d ever have dinner with him.

  “I have…obligations,” she told him. That was the truth, she reminded herself. It was Monday night, after all. Guiltily, because she wasn’t usually excited about her Monday night plans, she was grateful for the excuse this time.

  Mika was intrigued. He knew that this gorgeous woman was attracted to him. Her reaction to him was almost as strong as his reaction to her lovely figure and beautiful features. He couldn’t seem to pull his gaze from her soft, full lips. Very kissable lips, he decided. But then her words registered and he was shocked at the immediate, sharp anger that lanced through him. Obligations?

  “Obligations as in a husband?” he asked, noting that she wasn’t wearing a ring.

  “I’m not married,” she replied promptly. That reassured him and the anger dissipated.

  “A fiancé?”

  She laughed, crossing her arms over her stomach. “I’m not engaged, no.”

  That drew his eyes downward and he noticed the rich curves pressing against her sweater. His mouth watered, wanting to taste those ripe peaks. She would be a wonderful lover, he thought with increasing anticipation.

  “A boyfriend then,” he confirmed. A husband was a non-starter. He never interfered with married women. And a fiancé would cause him concern. But a boyfriend could be dismissed. Unless…was she in love with him? He heard her cute snort, as if the possibility of a boyfriend was simply outrageous. He liked that openness, Mika thought. Open and sparkling and fresh. Danielle Conyers…he repeated her name in his mind. Beautiful pale skin with soft, blonde hair, and a slender figure with all of those luscious curves…she appealed to him in a way that he’d never felt before.

  “No,” she replied again, the movement of her soft hair against her shoulders pulling his eyes back upwards. “I’m not dating anyone.” Those full lips curled into a wary smile and his stomach tightened with anticipation.

  “Excellent! Then there’s no reason why…”

  She lifted her hand, stopping his words and the gesture was so confident, so…authoritative, he actually stopped. The lovely woman straightened her shoulders and he watched as her beauty only intensified with her increasing self-confidence.

  “Just because I’m not dating anyone doesn’t imply that my evening obligation is any less important, Your Highness. Thank you so much for the invitation, but I must decline.”

  Allaena, she was marvelous! Her eyes sparkled and her chin lifted, defining her stubbornness clearly.

  A challenge! Excellent! His first impression of her as a beautiful woman was accurate. But now…watching her with a glowing challenge in her lovely eyes…she was even more beguiling!

  He would win, he thought with relish. This standoff was just a game, one that he would eventually win. He always did. Women were lovely and wonderful, and he understood that this woman was different, but that wouldn’t stop him. Different in a proud and wonderful way! It would just be more of an effort on his part. An effort he anticipated more than he’d thought possible.

  Bowing ever so slightly, he watched the triumph light up her eyes and wanted to laugh. She’d though she’d won? Oh, my little lady. Not by a long shot! This delightful conversation was just the opening salvo.

  “Another time, perhaps,” he told her. Mika was unaware of the way his lips curled up slightly.

  She nodded and her soft, blonde hair slid forward, catching the overhead lights. “Another time.”

  With that, he left the office, already coming up with various ways to entice and amaze the lovely woman.

  Chapter 3

  Mika walked through the stor
e, the manager trailing behind him like an overly eager puppy. Ignoring him, Mika surveyed the items in the elegant glass display cases, looking for something dazzling. He wasn’t sure what the perfect something might be, but he knew that it had to be spectacular. Something to match the stunning beauty he’d met earlier today. Danielle. He repeated her name to himself, thinking about the way her soft hand had fit so perfectly in his bigger one. And the way she’d watched him while he’d gone through the obstacle course. He’d felt her eyes on him the moment she’d stepped out onto the balcony. And when he’d met her, she’d been even more beautiful.

  So here he was, selecting a trinket that might match the sparkle in her lovely, green eyes. Emeralds? No, he thought, dismissing the idea. Emeralds would be too cliché. Rubies might be a good option. Something different. But perhaps not. They were for love, the red symbolizing romance. Probably too early for rubies.

  Diamonds. Diamonds would work. All women loved diamonds.

  “That one,” he said, pointing to a necklace with several diamonds intricately woven in a platinum setting. He pulled out a card and wrote a name on the back. “Send it to this address, to Ms. Danielle Conyers. I need it delivered tomorrow.”

  And with that, he left the store, slipping into the back of his limousine.

  He couldn’t get the image of the lovely woman out of his mind the rest of the day. Her soft, blonde hair, sparkling eyes, and the delicate pink of her cheeks…she was a stunning combination of strength and confidence. And yet, he couldn’t dismiss the flash of vulnerability he’d seen. It had only been a flash, but it intrigued him. His life was filled with people vying for his attention. And yet, the lovely woman couldn’t get away from him fast enough.

  He didn’t doubt that she’d felt the intensity of their touch. He’d seen her shock when their fingers touched.

  “I felt it too, my little lady,” he whispered to the empty penthouse suite of his hotel. Staring out at the night, he admired the city’s nighttime skyline. It flashed and buzzed with surprising energy, but in the distance, there was nothing. Blackness. He knew that the blackness hid the majestic Appalachian Mountains, but at night, they were invisible, absorbed by the night and hidden until the sun revealed the stately peaks.